As summer approaches and becomes official on June 21st, the first of the summer vegetables begin to appear.  Thank goodness for the May rains which kept our gardens watered and the few days of heat that helped those seeds we so diligently planted, pop open and spring forth from the warm earth.  The garden at the farm has a few peas ready to cling to the fence, reach for the sky and set forth their tasty pods.  Green beans are popping up as well as lettuce and spinach.  The tiny feathery carrot leaves can barely be seen but we know they’ll grow tall and by fall we’ll have the orange carrots that we love and store through the winter.  The potatoes are planted and summer squashes are going in the ground this week, as well as corn and parsnips.

Since June is Eat Your Veggies month and June 10th is celebrated as National Herb Day, let’s consider the herbs (although you may be missing basil, you should have lots of other herbs to enjoy) that will bring out the flavor of those first vegetables of summer such as spinach and greens of all kinds, sugar pod peas and shelling peas, zucchini, green beans, broccoli and radishes.  Here are a few recipes to try for serving those first veggies of summer.

Veggie Sauté
Prep and Cook Time:  20 minutes
½ C green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
½ C thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp each fresh: oregano, thyme and rosemary
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 ½ C coarsely chopped spinach
¼ tsp garlic (if desired)
¼ tsp ground pepper
In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onions, beans and carrots in butter/oil until crisp-tender.  Add the spinach, herbs, and garlic; sauté 3-4 minutes longer or just until spinach is wilted.

Baked Spinach Supreme
Prep & Cook time:  35 – 45 min
1 C biscuit/baking mix                      Filling:
2 eggs                                               1 ½ C chopped spinach
¼ C milk                                            1 ½ C cottage cheese
¼ C finely chopped chives                ¾ C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
                                                        ½ C grated Parmesan cheese   
                                                       3 eggs               
                                                       1 tsp each fresh: parsley, marjoram, winter savory
  In a small bowl combine the biscuit mix, eggs, milk and chives.  Spread into a greased 11 X 7 inch baking dish.  In  
   another bowl combine the filling ingredients.  Gently spoon over biscuit mixture.  Bake, uncovered at 350˚  for
   28-32 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

In early summer when just the idea of fresh zucchini makes my mouth water any way it is prepared, this simple salad will be a hit.  Later when everyone thinks they have had enough zucchini to last a life time, bring it back for a tasty change.

Shaved Zucchini Salad
Prep and Cook Time:  20 min
1/3 C olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
2 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed
1 small wedge Parmesan cheese
1 tsp each fresh herbs:  tarragon, parsley, chives
¼ C toasted pine nuts or almonds   Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake in 350˚ oven for 3 to 5 min.  Will burn quickly, so watch carefully.
 In a bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs to make dressing.   Set aside.  Using a vegetable peeler working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/16 inch thick). Place ribbons in a large bowl and add nuts. Add dressing and toss.  Season with salt and pepper if desired. Using vegetable peeler, shave strips of Parmesan cheese over salad.
 
 
Spinach and Apple Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 15 min
½ C unsweetened apple juice
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each fresh herb: thyme, marjoram, rosemary
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 C fresh baby spinach
1 medium apple, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/3 C crumbled blue cheese
1/3 C chopped walnuts
In a small bowl whisk the first 7 ingredients.  In a salad bowl, combine spinach, apple, onion, blue cheese and walnuts.  Drizzle with dressing and mix well.
 
Snow Pea and Carrot Stir Fry
Prep and Cook Time: 10 min 
1 Tbsp oil
2 C fresh snow peas
½ C thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp dry ginger
2Tbsp soy sauce or tahini sauce
2 tsp finely chopped chives
1 tsp each fresh herb: oregano, thyme, lovage
Heat a wok or sauté pan over high heat.  Add the oil and heat; then add snow peas and carrots.  Stir fry for one minute.  Add ginger, soy sauce and herbs, then stir fry one more minute.

The herbs suggested for use, are just that – suggestions.  You might want to try a different herb or more of one kind than another, or even some our herb blends.  Bring out the flavor of early veggies with whatever herbs you have growing and enjoy!

With truly warm (dare we say “hot”?!) weather arriving soon, we are reminded that it is almost time to plant basil.  Basil has been a favorite herb of cooks for centuries.  It is a window sill herb in many Mediterranean households.  Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual from the Mediterranean region that grows 1 to 2 feet tall.  It is genus name is the ancient Greek word for “king”.  This small bush, deep green plant prefers full sun and warm temperatures to grow well.  It is commonly associated with Italian cooking, especially pesto, but there are many more uses beyond the kitchen. 

Growing
Basil is best started from seed indoors, under lights and with heat mats, in early spring (in our Zone 8 region, that would be late March or early April), then transplanted outside in early summer.  Alternatively you can direct seed into your garden beds after June 1st, once it is warmer overnight.  Basil is one of our Annual Herbal Trifecta, which we plant directly into our veggie beds in late spring or early summer.  For more details on our planting of basil (along with dill and cilantro), check out this blog: herbal-annual-trifecta.html

Basil really does love hot weather, especially at night, so for some areas the season for growing basil can be short.  Putting it in a pot can help hold in heat (especially in a clay pot) but will require more consistent watering to be sure it doesn’t get dried out.

As your basil grows, you can harvest stems with 3-4 sets of leaves (just above a node); two side stems will develop, giving you more basil.  As those side stems grow taller and get more sets of leaves, harvest those as well and continue on throughout the growing season.  Be sure to take no more than half the entire plant at any one time.  Continuous, careful harvest keeps the plant producing lots of tasty leaves and prevents flowering which can change the flavor of the herb.  If you miss a flower stem or two, simply pinch them off.

If you are keen to keep your basil looking its best, during the hottest part of the summer consider using shade cloth over your plants during the bright, hot afternoons.  Despite loving warm sun, basil can be burned by direct, late summer sun. We often pinch these leaves off and harvest those that have not been burned – but then we plant a lot of basil!

Basil is extremely sensitive to cold, so if you have plants in the ground in fall, its best to harvest and preserve and/or use all the basil you can before the first hint of frost. Plants in pots can be brought inside and kept alive during the winter, but will require supplemental light to keep them growing enough to harvest regularly.

Varieties
There are more than 60 different species in the Ocimum genus, and nearly endless varieties of the classic sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum.  Here are some of our favorites:

• Genovese – this is the typical classic Italian basil, commonly seen in stores and nurseries; it has a spicy, bold basil flavor that people are most familiar with
  
• Lettuce leaf/Mammoth – depending on the seed supplier or nursery, you’ll see both of these names; this crinkly, fringe edged variety has leaves of considerable size and often a milder flavor (especially the lettuce leaf variety)
  
• Scented basils – these aromatic basils including cinnamon, lemon, anise and licorice and can be a fun addition to your basil collection
  
• Purple basil – there are quite a few cultivars or varieties of purple basil; the deep purple colored leaves (sometimes mottled with a bit of bright green), add a lovely pinkish-purple color to vinegars and teas
  
• Thai – a basil variety with a good spicy kick to it, called “Ho-ra-pa” in Thai
  
• Holy basil – also known as Tulsi, a different species called Ocimum sanctum (alternatively Ocimum tenuflorium); this native of India and cultivated throughout out SE Asia is a sacred plant in the Hindu religion and has many beneficial medicinal properties
  

Uses
Culinary – With its spicy, sweet smell and flavor, basil is very popular in Mediterranean cuisine and because it goes well with tomatoes it is especially identified with Italian cooking.   Pesto is famously made from basil, although you can get experimental and add other herbs too for a variety of flavors and uses (see recipe below).  It is good in salads (even the flowers!), paired with cheeses, and especially good in butter on breads.  Basil is a staple in many of our herbal culinary blends (link) and the list of dishes that an addition of basil will enhance is long. 

Scented basils add some lovely flavors to your cooking as well, for example: lemon basil with fish, cinnamon basils in fruit salads and fruit desserts, and licorice or anise basil in Asian dishes and cookies.
 
Household – Throw some basil on your BBQ coals after you are done cooking – the smoke helps repel mosquitoes.  Basil was commonly grown throughout the world on windowsills to help repel flies and keep them out of the home when windows were open to the breeze.  Scented basils add richness and depth to your potpourri mixtures.
 
Health Benefits – Basil is a good headache remedy in a tisane or tea and it also aids digestion (as many culinary herbs do).  Cinnamon or lemon basil dried leaves ground into a powder can be mixed with a little water and baking soda for a DIY natural toothpaste.  Holy basil in particular is well known as a calming herb and an adaptogen, aiding people to move towards health (in whatever way their body may need).  Holy basil is an herb that in India and many other countries, it is taken on a regular, daily basis to support the body in optimal health, especially when dealing with ongoing stress.  For more details on holy basil’s benefits, see Herbal Remedies Advice from herbalist Rosalee de la Floret. 
 
Beauty – Consider adding it to your bath tea herbal blend, or use it to create an herbal vinegar hair rinse to add luster to your hair (especially darker colored hair).

Fresh Basil Pesto   
Prep and Cook time:  ~20 min
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach or any other combo of fresh herbs)
½ cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts or leave out)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper

Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times.Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 
Suggestions, substitutions, etc:

• we leave out the pine nuts and cheese due to allergies and sensitivities in our family and notice absolutely no flavor difference
  
• try some other herbs in the mix, such as: chives, marjoram, oregano or even lemon balm (up to ¼ cup each)
• other oils to try: grapeseed, sunflower or avocado
• Preserving your pesto – simply put into small glass jars ~3/4 full and freeze; place frozen jar into your fridge and eat within a week or so
  

Many herbs get added to our herb beds by serendipity.  While perusing the farmers market or a plant sale, there is often an herb that jumps out at us – one that we haven’t seen before, and are intrigued by.  We may not know anything about it, but our plant senses tell us it needs to be ours.  So we take it home, find a spot for it and then watch it grow, all while learning as much as we can by observing it and also doing research.  This is how anise hyssop came to join the farm and her herb sisters.

Anise Hyssop is the herb of the year as selected by The International Herb Association for 2019 and then be recognized by the Herb Society of America as the Herb of the Month last year in anticipation of its big year in 2019. 

So what is it about Anise Hyssop that it deserves this recognition from these prestigious herb groups and lets it keep its spot at our herb farm?  As with so many herbs, it has a wide variety of uses.  Its tall foliage and flowers make it a beautiful background to other herbs and a striking addition to the landscape.  Indeed one of its primary purposes is as food for many types of bees, humming birds and butterflies. Since the flowers bloom from June into September, they provide food throughout the summer for these important pollinators, along with outstanding landscape color throughout the summer.

Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a perennial that grows between two to four feet tall with showy purple flower spikes. Neither a member of the anise family nor the hyssop family, anise hyssop is actually a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Like mint and catnip, anise hyssop has square stems. The leaves smell like anise, hence the name, and are ovular and broad in shape, with fringed edges, and dull green in color.  When it is first emerging, it has beautiful purple color on the underside of the leaves.

It is native to northern parts of the United States and parts of Canada. It is fairly easy to start from seed or buy a start at a spring plant sale, then you’ll have your own seeds for planting in the fall.  It likes well drained soil and full sun.  As a native plant it is fairly hardy.  Ours grows near a fence with some other medicinal herbs: echinacea, valerian, and marshmallow.  For some reason it seems to attract the slugs in the spring and early summer – not the other herbs, just the anise hyssop.  At first we thought it was a rabbit, so put a fence around it.  When that didn’t stop the damage, we decided it must be the Pacific Northwest deadly plant foe – the slug.  Out came the organic-safe-for-all slug bait.   That did the trick and our anise hyssop was able to grow to its full beauty.  We have to remain vigilant in the early spring when it first emerges, as those first leaves seem the tastiest to the slugs.  With spring rains, regular reapplication of slug bait is necessary.  Occasionally, aphids and flea beetles are a problem, but not enough to bother with.  There is still plenty of untouched leaves and flowers for harvest. 

If you live near a wooded area, anise hyssop is purported to repel deer, so consider planting it around the edges of the yard or garden. As a medicinal herb, anise hyssop is traditionally known as a tea herb.  It was especially well known among Native Americans as a relief for congestion, helping to clear airways and lungs.  A hot infusion is said to induce sweating so is good for reducing fevers and because of this quality the Cheyenne are known to use anise hyssop in their sweat lodges.  The Iroquois made a wash with the herb to use to relieve the itching from poison ivy.  Modern herbalists use it in salves to treat wounds or as a poultice for burns.  Anise hyssop is a key ingredient in our Cold Calming Tea – combined with sage, bee balm, and thyme – it is great for the sinus troubles that seem to plague our family throughout the year.
At one of on-the-farm classes about teas a few years ago, a participant had a persistent cough.  She took a water bottle with her when she was out and about to try to relieve the cough and lessen her embarrassment. However, it just wasn’t working.  After some thought, Erin helped her to come up with a tasty tea combination of anise hyssop and sage, which did soften the cough.  She continues to purchase this special tea and is especially thankful when she is situations such as church, to be able to sip her tea and not interrupt social situations with a cough.

Leaves and flowers are can both be used.  Dried or fresh they can be made into teas and for added flavor include some mint.  It makes a tasty fresh garden herbal iced tea – simply make a small bouquet of herbs from your garden patch, pour boiling water to cover, let sit for ~20 minutes covered, then strain well.  This herb tea concentrate can be diluted by as much as 50% (depending on taste), add ice and enjoy!  The flowers when crumbled made a nice addition to salads or in butter cookies.  Because the leaves maintain their scent when dried, they are good in potpourri.

So there you have why Anise Hyssop has been recognized this year.  With its beautiful flowers and many uses from culinary to medicinal, it a great choice for Herb of the Year.  Make it a part of your garden.

Spring for the herb gals at Garden Delights means we are getting ready not just to begin harvesting and finalize some cleanup but to set and get started on our yearly class series.  Our classes are a time to share information and to answer burning questions about all things herbal, secretly one of things we like to do best. We sometimes make presentations to local groups and at once such recent event we were asked about fertilizing herb plants.  Most of us think of our perennial herbs plants as sturdy hardy souls who require little attention.  That’s part of the beauty of growing them.  We did answer the question presented to us and would like to share that information with you.

Herb plants are kind of stuck in one place, unless we move them, so consequently over time they use all the nutrients in their soil.  To keep plants healthy and maintain growth for continued harvests, we have to help them have a good source of nutrients which means a shot of fertilizer.  ­­A great time for this nutrient shot is in spring which will officially occur this month, so read on to get all the info on how to renew our hardy herb friends with some nutrients. 

Just what fertilizer to use?  Many of the nurseries and even large variety stores will carry a good supply of organic fertilizers, many of them designed especially for herbs.  Some are liquid to be mixed with water and applied with a sprinkling can.  Others are dry and can be sprinkled around the base of the plants.  Choose either dry or liquid, whichever you want to apply.  We typically use a dry kind and let the spring rains water it in. Often they contain fish, feather or blood meal products, so keep that in mind if you have pets who may have access to your herb garden area.  From experience we can attest to what happens when big black dogs begin to dig around your herb plants! 
In ground plants have been resting all winter and will begin putting on new growth as soon as the temperatures increase.  Before they get growing too fast and the spring rains are gone, apply some fertilizer.  This one time application should be enough unless you harvest frequently and water often.  Then you might want to make a second application in mid-summer.

Herbs in containers, because they require frequent watering to keep them from getting dried out, their nutrients get washed away.  They will need a fertilizer boost a little more often.  Applying a small dose of fertilizer at least once a month or every 2-4 weeks will keep them green and happy. We like to give the mint plants we grow in pots around the greenhouse a monthly shot of liquid fish based fertilizer during the growing months, spring through fall (approx. June through October).

There may even be some herbs growing in your garden that can be used as fertilizers.  Two large, lush and green plants come to mind—comfrey and borage.   Both are good sources of nutrients and minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as the basics of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can harvest the stems and leaves, and lay them under your in ground herb plants as a mulch and fertilizer in one.  They combine very well with manures and standard compost as well. 

Comfrey and borage also make a fantastic liquid fertilizer.  The large leaves and stems can be harvested, cut into pieces and stuffed into a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water and a lid.  The herbs should be tightly pressed into the bucket – use a rock or old brick to help hold the plants down. Set aside, wait about 30 days, strain and use as a liquid fertilizer to water the soil under the herb plants.  Just a caution—the first time the lid is removed there will be a very unpleasant odor.  The tea is fine, that’s just how it smells. Dilute the finished tea 1 part to 15 parts water, and use to water the soil under any herbs.  Try not to get it on the leaves, as sometimes it can burn the leaves of your growing herbs.  This also gets the fertilizer down to your herb plants roots, where it will be the most useful.  We loved this last summer and even got the kid to make it – he refused to help strain it once it was done – ha ha!
You can speed up the breakdown of the leaves in the bucket by adding a bit of molasses, up to 1 cup, to your tea mixture.

Many herbs have nutrients in them, so consider adding them to the compost tea recipe above, fresh or dried.

• Nettle: vitamins A, C, & K, calcium, magnesium, Sulphur, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, boron, bromine, copper, iron, selenium and zinc.
  
• Parsley: vitamins A and C, iron, copper and manganese.
  
• Dandelion: vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium.
  

As we approach spring and warmer temperatures (surely it will happen soon!) help your herb plants have a healthy growing season with a nice dose of delicious fertilizer.

Winter Savory – Satureja montana, is a semi-evergreen low growing shrub.  It is hardy to zones 6 so typically has no problems growing in our area.  It is best started from a plant start.  As with most Mediterranean herbs, it likes full sun and well-drained soil.  Harvest the leaves as it grows and if it begins to get woody, some of the woody stems can be cut back almost to the ground to encourage new growth.  The pinkish-white flowers appear on tall stalks that are somewhat leathery and not harvested for use but do provide food for pollinators.

There are two kinds of savory – summer and winter. Summer savory is an annual that is often preferred by cooks for its flavor which is milder than winter savory.  But winter savory maintains its flavor very well when dried, so provides a lasting herbal addition for winter months.  Both savory varieties have a spicy, peppery taste and are known throughout Central and Eastern Europe as the “bean” herb.  Folk lore suggests that it “expels the wind from the stomach”.  It is a component of Herbes de Provence and goes well with meats, potatoes, stews and stronger vegetables.  It is often found commercially in sausage.  You can find Herbes de Provence and Savory Onion herb blends on the Garden Delights website.

It has been used for over 2,000 years as a healing and household herb as well as for culinary purposes.  A simple tea helps soothe the digestive system.  A strong infusion makes a good mouthwash.  To treat insect bites, bruise some fresh leaves and apply to the bite. Winter savory can be found in toothpastes and soaps.

Savory Herbal Marinade
For Beef:
2 ½  C Red Wine
3/4  C Red Wine Vinegar
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
2 tsp each fresh Thyme, Oregano and Winter Savory, coarsely chopped
Salt
Allow meat to marinate overnight or about 12 hours.
For Chicken:
Exchange the red wine for white wine and the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar. Change the herbs to tarragon, lemon thyme or lemon verbena and savory or any combination of those. 
For Pork:   add fresh mint to the White Wine Marinade.

Rosemary  - Rosmarius officinalis is an evergreen bush that can grow up to 5 feet if allowed.  It is an evergreen with needle-like leaves and grows wild along the coasts of Spain where it has its Mediterranean origins.  It likes sun and well-drained soil, but will tolerate partial shade. Since it tends to have fragile roots, in higher elevations in our area it may need to be mulched for the winter, as it has been known to suffer from the sometimes extreme cold we may have during the winter.  In some regions it is grown in containers so it can be brought indoors.

Rosemary has a long history of legends and uses of all kinds.  It is known as the herb of remembrance and friendship and was associated with many stories of the Christian religion.  In Renaissance times it was used as a strewing herb to mask odors and to ward against evil which had a secondary purpose, perhaps not known to all its users, to help prevent the spread of germs and disease. It was often included in the small bouquets (tussie-mussie) that women carried.

Rosemary’s piney fragrance makes it a good addition to potpourri which can serve double duty as an insect repellent.  Add some catnip to help ward off mosquitoes or lavender to send moths running.  With its strong pungent flavor, rosemary it pairs well with meats and wakes up mild veggies like potatoes (like those rosemary French fries so popular at a local burger joint) and beans.  It is easy to dry – place in a paper bag and wait about a week.  Be sure to grind the needley leaves before adding to your cooking.  Just ask Erin about this, as she found “pine” needles in her food at college.  As a vinegar, rosemary is an outstanding addition to any pantry.

Rosemary Vinegar
2 C white vinegar
4-5 small sprigs fresh rosemary
Place rosemary in a clear glass jar, add vinegar and cover with a plastic lid.  If a metal lid is used, place some kind of a liner between the lid and jar.  Let it sit in a sunny window for about a week or 3-4 weeks in a dark cupboard.  Taste and if ready, strain out herbs and store.  Makes a tasty salad dressing or marinade.

Thyme – Thymus vulgaris is a small mounded bush with teeny leaves.  It is an evergreen that only grows to about 8-10 inches.  It is a common (hence vulgaris) herb used extensively in cooking.  Creeping thyme is typically used as a ground cover but could replace common thymes in a pinch.  Garden thyme comes in several varieties. The two most often grown for home use are French and English.  We have both kinds at the herb farm, as well as lemon, lime and Dutch tea thymes.  There are several other varieties that are great additions to the landscape with their variegated or other colored leaves.  

Thyme likes sun and because of its size does well in a container.  The flowers grow in a vertical cluster and are typically pinkish and of course loved by bees.  In many Mediterranean countries thyme honey is considered the very best. To keep the plants small bushy mounds, in the spring prune back the stems to about half their length.
Thyme has many uses in cooking in stuffing, hearty soups, all vegetables, marinades, oils and vinegars with a special affinity to fish dishes.  Its familiar flavor is found often in French and Italian cuisine.  Although the leaves are tiny they pack a powerful flavor and thyme is often a minor ingredient in recipes or our herb blends.

Thyme leaves and flowers contain an oil called thymol which is used commercially in cosmetics and medicines. Pure thymol has been known to have negative side effects, externally and internally, so caution is in order. Tea made from fresh or dried thyme leaves is said to be good for colds and as a gargle for sore throats. It is antiseptic and disinfectant and was used during World War I to treat soldiers’ wounds.
 
 
Herbed Croutons
Using a loaf of Italian bread, slice and trim crusts from slices.  Cut slices into ½ to 1 inch pieces. Set aside.   Melt ½ C butter in skillet. Add ½ teaspoon of each dried herb – thyme, basil and marjoram (or any of your favorite herbs).  Add a little onion or garlic power if desired.  Sauté bread cubes in hot butter mixture, turning to brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels.  Ready for soups or salads.

Ah, the aromas of the holiday seasons.  Those earthy savory smells of turkey and stuffing or ham and the sweet spiciness of pies. Herbs of every kind flavor holiday meals from sage and thyme in the turkey rub to nutmeg in the pies.  Wait a minute, that nutmeg is not really an herb. 

Herbs and spices are quite different.  Herbs are plants used for flavoring, texture, fragrance or dyeing that grow in a temperate zone.  They are plants that have a culinary, medicinal or practical use that you would expect to find in a traditional herb garden.  That temperate zone is one reason we all have so many wonderful herbs in our gardens. Spices on the other hand, tend to come from woody plants in tropical zones, a reason why the majority of spices are imported. The Mediterranean region brought us herbs as the Romans conquered the world and the south Asian area brought spices along Marco Polo’s spice trail.

Often we associate herbs with savory flavors found in daily cooking while spices go with sweet delectable desserts.  We are of course big advocates for the culinary use of herbs.  However, we do also use spices and think there is no reason herbs and spices can’t go together.  The holiday stuffing could have shredded or chopped apples and/or cranberries added and along with the sage-y Poultry Blend seasoning sprinkle in a little cinnamon and/or ginger.  Winter squashes of all kinds pair well with the traditional French Herbes de Provence Blend and a little nutmeg and cinnamon.

Now that we’ve mentioned nutmeg, just what is that spice?  The ground or whole seed we use for baking comes from an evergreen tree principally grown in Indonesia and the West Indies. Nutmeg trees may reach a height of about 65 feet. It takes eight years for the trees to bear fruit and they reach their prime in 25 years, but can bear fruit for 60 years or longer. The fruit is similar in appearance to an apricot. When fully mature it splits in two, exposing a crimson-colored aril, or outer covering surrounding a single shiny brown seed, the nutmeg.  This outer covering is made into the spice mace, which has a slightly warm taste and fragrance similar to nutmeg.  Nutmeg has a distinctive pungent slightly sweet taste used to flavor all kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, even potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and of course the holiday eggnog.

Cinnamon is a widely favored in baking and can be found in traditional pumpkin pie spice blend. Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel (think Bay leaves) family.  Although native to the coast of India and Sri Lanka, where the majority of the spice is harvested, it is also grown commercially in South America and the West Indies.  When a cinnamon tree is around two years old, it is cut back to the size of a stump and covered with soil. This technique causes it to grow like a bush, with new shoots emerging out of the sides by the following year. These shoots are used to make the cinnamon we know.  Once cut, the shoots are stripped of their bark and the peels are set out to dry in the sun. As this happens, the bark naturally curls into quills or sticks which are sold whole or often ground and sold for the convenience of cooking.

he aromas of the holiday season also stir memories of times spent with family and friends and traditions associated with them.  Traditions often are cultural, brought with families as they immigrated.  Many special recipes are handed down and become an expected part of the holiday season.  The Eastern Europeans of our area are known for their use of anise seeds in baking.  An often favorite traditional cookie recipe includes anise seeds – commonly known as Springerle cookies.  The grandfather of Erin’s cousins, a German immigrant, always had these cookies at Christmas time and their mother carries on the tradition.  Here is the recipe for you to try.
 
Crisp Anise Seed Butter Cookies
Prep and Cook Time:  60 min
4 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 C butter, softened
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp anise seeds
¼ C white sugar for decoration
1 tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Gradually mix in the sifted ingredients and anise seeds until well blended. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350∞. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 ½ inches apart onto cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops with a mixture of the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until light brown. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.   schöne Ferien (happy holidays)
 
The Mexican immigrants who first came to Washington in the 1880’s brought many traditional foods, too.  Grandma McGaughey made a powdered sugar coated cookie she called Mexican Wedding cakes which are a common holiday cookie in Mexico.  Some people may also know them as Russian tea cakes.  We have the recipe written in her scrolling cursive hand and use it to make cookies to be included in our holiday cookie boxes (a tradition in our home) we take to neighbors, teachers, friends and people who have helped us throughout the year, like the post office. Here is Grandma M’s recipe and for many more Mexican delights for the holidays go to:
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-christmas-dishes/
 
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Prep and Cook Time: 60 min
1 C butter, softened
1⁄2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1⁄4 C sifted flour
1⁄4 tsp salt
3⁄4 C chopped walnuts or 3⁄4 C pecans
powdered sugar (for rolling baked cookies in)
Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts. Chill dough if it seems too soft. Form dough into 1¼ " balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks. Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature. NOTE: Forming dough into 1" balls will increase yield.  Noche Buena (the night of goodness, Christmas Eve)

A final tradition at our house is a year end trip to a beach.  We have gone to Long Beach, Wa many times and to Tillamook, Manzanita and even San Diego and Hawaii. This year we are headed to Gray’s Harbor north of Willapa Bay. It’s a celebration of sorts for finishing the year end direct sales events – a huge thank you to all who visited us at various bazaars! We relax a little with family before heading to the greenhouse in the new year to plant seeds and propagate herbs for spring plant sales.  Whatever traditions you have may they includes lots of tasty herbs and spices, too. 

The kids will be heading back to school this month ready and eager to get back into the academic groove.  In honor of National Kid Month – September- we present some herbal ideas that will get the young ones involved with herbs, maybe the outdoors and putting those academic skills to use in practical fun ways.
The young one in our family is well aware of herbs and even has several of his own favorites.  He has been stung several times this summer by the abundance of yellow jackets. Although his first response is a lot of loud hollering, through all the noise he yells “Get Mom!”  He knows that mom will get a poultice of plantain (once chewed and slapped on the sting while in the garden) which will pull out the poison and relieve the pain.  So this summer he may say that plantain is a favorite herb.  He knows about the herbs we grow and use in our food everyday something we talk about all the time.  He has learned about herbs from his very beginning.  Something we encourage everyone to do.

Begin with food.  If you grow herbs, take your children into the garden and let them feel, taste and harvest herbs.  Name the herbs and tell them what you do with them.  Take some pictures or press some leaves and let them start a scrapbook.  Then let them help use those herbs in some cooking. This is a simple and good place to start kids out with herbs easily.  Our kiddo enjoys making dill pickles every year, and the umbrel flowers of the dill make for fun and easy harvesting.  We have also made pesto from a wide variety of herbs - what fun to chop the herbs roughly so they fit into the food processor (scissors work great for this) and then whirring them up into a lovely green paste with some oil and then mixed with pasta!

Start their own herb garden – our kiddo has his own fairy garden in between the herbs.  Some herbs to consider for a kid garden include: anise hyssop, lemon balm, catmint, beebalm, calendula and any mint such as peppermint.  These herbs all have great smells when gently rubbed, and grow easily without much care or maintenance.  Their flowers also attract a wide variety of insects, which can add an additional element of fascination for kids.  It is easy to make bouquets out of them (for gifting friends and family, something that many a young child likes to do), and they can also easily make fresh summer iced tea.  These herbs all have great medicinal uses which are safe for kids.  Lemon balm and peppermint make tasty, and tummy soothing teas when kids aren’t feeling well.  Catnip works well to help soothe and cool a fever.  Calendula can be infused in oil (any oil you’ve got on hand, such as olive, coconut, grape, etc.); once the flowers are strained out, you can use the oil for bumps, bruises, scrapes, and itchy and scratchy skin.  Add a bit of shredded beeswax to gently heated oil, then once it cools you’ve got a wonderful healing salve.

Take a foraging walk around your yard or neighborhood!  While we are talking about insects, bee stings are an often inevitable result of spending time outdoors and in the garden.  But there are several plant allies that are readily available in nearly every yard as weeds which can help with bee stings and other bug bites, itchy skin and simple scratches and owies.  Yarrow is a common garden “weed” which is great at stopping bleeding of minor cuts and scrapes.  Craft a simple poultice of chopped & ground fresh or dried herb, mixed with a bit of water, and place directly on the wound.  Plantain, also seen as a common “weed”, is terrific for bug bites and bee stings.  As mentioned above, create a simple poultice out of dried or fresh ground herb and a bit of water, and place directly on the affected area.  As the poultice heats up, be sure to change it out, so the herb can help draw out the heat and any “poison” left by the bite or sting. 

The library is a wealth of knowledge and it is free.  The Battleground Library, our favorite branch of our regional library system, is our go-to choice but the regional library system has several branches and books about herbs are readily available.  Books with colorful pictures should be helpful and interesting to children.  Let them pick out a book or two and enjoy the learning with them.  If they get really excited visit a bookstore and let them help pick out a book to keep in your home library. 

Here are a couple of suggestions:

• A Kid’s Herb Book: For Children of All Ages by Leslie Tierra
  
• Walking the World in Wonder: A Children’s Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman
  
• Herb Fairies – a series of storybooks from Learning Herbs
  

Play games. It can be as easy as “find the lemon balm” or “show me an herb that makes great tea”. There is also an actual board game for learning about herbs.  Wildcraft! from Learning Herbs is an excellent cooperative board game that teaches about herbs.  It involves an adventure to grandma’s house so how could that not be fun.  We have this game and have had fun playing it, especially since it cooperative. 
However you share herbs with your kiddos, enjoy time spent together and learning about the plants around us that are infinitely useful!

Since basil is enjoying all the sunshine, no doubt more than we are, and growing in leaps and bounds, for many cooks thoughts turn to pesto.  Traditional pesto is a colorful sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy where it is known as pesto alla genovese.  Typically it is made from crushed basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic with added olive oil and parmesan and/or Romano cheese.  The ingredients were ground with a mortar and pestle hence the name pesto.  It has a distinctive green hue and a light texture.  The Italians used pesto on pasta, of course, but it can have many other uses.

Any herb may be substituted for basil and even kale and spinach have been known to turn up in a pesto.  Be creative and use your pesto with more than pasta.  Making pesto with different herbs uses the typical basil recipe but sometimes with a few changes for the nuts or cheese or change things up your own way.  Here are some other herbs to use in pesto and ideas on how to use them.

Basic Fresh Herb Pesto
Prep and Cook time:  20 min      Yield:  about 1 C
2 C fresh basil leaves or any other herb or combo of herbs, packed (can sub half the herb leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 C freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about ¼ C)
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c pine nuts (can sub other chopped nuts or leave out)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Place the basil leaves and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times. Add the garlic and cheese and pulse several more times. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a small steady stream. Adding the olive oil slowly while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and black pepper.  Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Put a thin layer of oil on the top to keep it from turning brown.

Cilantro Pesto Recipe
Use the directions for Basic Herb Pesto to make this spicy version.
2 C packed cilantro, including stems
1/2 C blanched almonds   
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/2 tsp chopped and seeded serrano chile;  add more serrano chilies if you like things hot. A full teaspoon will give you a nice, warm pesto.
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 C olive oil
Toast the almonds: Heat a small skillet on high heat. When the pan is hot, add the blanched almonds in a single layer. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the almonds are fragrant and start to brown, remove them from the pan.

Here are a few other suggestions.  Use the Basic Herb Pesto recipe and directions making­­­­­­ the substitutions as indicated.
Kale-walnut pesto with spaghetti squash
     Bake the squash, scrape the inside to form “noodles”.   Add kale pesto to squash “noodles”
     and top with cherry tomatoes.  Heat and eat.

Oregano-pistachio pesto, also add 2 Tbsp lemon juice
      Serve on grilled or steamed fish

Lemon basil pesto
    Brush on chicken and grill

Mint pesto – no nuts or cheese
     Add to ground lamb before forming into patties

Using Any Herb Pesto
    Instead of garlic bread, spread pesto onto crusty bread and toast
    Stir pesto into bread dough for wonderfully fragrant dinner rolls or breads
    Stir pesto into quick breads and biscuits
    Spread on a Sandwich or Flatbread
    Mix pesto with mayonnaise and use on a sandwich
    Mix into Salad Dressing
    Toss (or Top) Veggies
    Summer squashes

Cilantro Abundance
We have an abundance of cilantro this year. We have harvested and dried what we hope will be all that we need for this year and are leaving the plants to flower and go to seed. We will harvest the seeds when they are ready, which is when about half the seeds have turned from greenish to grayish-tan. These will go in a paper bag to finish drying. Later we will use them as coriander for culinary purposes or as seed for next year’s planting. We chose to harvest some of this cilantro abundance for ourselves and preserve for winter time goodness. Although we did not make a “true” pesto because we left out some of the ingredients, we used the same directions.

• Sort and trim the cilantro – stems are ok we just didn’t want large ones
• Rinse the cilantro and dry in a salad spinner
• Fill the food processor bowl to the top and chop
• Add olive oil – enough to get the herb mixture to stick together in a mound, hold together
• Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl
• Place in ice cube trays to freeze

Frozen cubes are stored in freezer bag in freezer

We have an easy to use cilantro paste/sauce similar to pesto ready for those Mexican dishes that require a little spiciness. For those who would like to make true pesto, we offer the following recipe and ideas.

Preserving for use later
Pesto and the basic herb paste discussed above, freezes well.  You can easily freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store frozen pesto cubes in the freezer for up to 6 months. Pesto may also be frozen in small glass jars or plastic containers for up to 9-12 months.  One friend of ours does this every year, mixing herbs to her liking and creating a basic herbal paste, which she freezes in jars and uses all winter.  She simply pulls a small jar out, places it in the fridge to defrost, and then scoops out with a spoon however much she wants for her morning scrambled eggs and in soups and stews throughout the winter and spring.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation makes this statement concerning the canning of pesto:
"Pesto is an uncooked seasoning mixture of herbs, usually including fresh basil, and some oil. It may be frozen for long term storage; there are no home canning recommendations."
 
So get some pesto going with whatever herb you have on hand including the classic basil to enjoy now and preserve some for those rainy winter days we know will come.